March 28, 1859.] DAVIS ON THE YANG-TSE-KEANG. 167 



proceeded 600 miles into the interior of the country. When we know that this 

 was accomplished through the energy of Lord Elgin and the naval officers who 

 accompanied him, our attention is necessarily drawn again to the great diffi- 

 culties which are presented every year to the navigator in ascending this 

 river. Captain Collinson, who surveyed it a few years ago, will, I hope, 

 explain to us the remarkable changes that have occurred since his time. 

 In fact, from a letter which I hold in my hand from Mr. Blackney, of the 

 Acteon, it appears that to navigate this river safely it will be necessary to have a 

 fresh survey every year and a pilot for every fifty or sixty miles, so rapid are the 

 changes. They depend, doubtless, upon this great feature of the interior of 

 China, that as this large river, which is 3300 miles long, descends, it is fed by 

 vast affluents that flow from snowy mountains. The sudden melting of the 

 snow brings with it a quantity of boulder, sand, and mud, which encumber 

 the bed of the river. On the other hand, the force of the current, so suddenly 

 swollen, excavates deep passages for vessels in places which were formerly 

 sandbanks. Besides Captain Collinson, we have also here Mr. Lockhart, who 

 has already explained to us the great advantages of opening up the Yang-tse- 

 Keang, and who has been so long resident in Shanghae. There is also present 

 an American gentleman, Mr. Carr, who has ascended this river for some dis- 

 tance in a frigate of the United States. I call, therefore, upon these gentlemen 

 and others who are interested in this most important subject to favour the 

 Society with observations. 



Captain K. Collinson, f.r.g.s. — Having taken a part in the opening of 

 this great river, I look upon this exploration with great interest ; and, with 

 your permission, I will point out the progress of its examination. During the 

 first year of the opium war, 1840, the entrance, as far as the north end of 

 the island of Tsungming, was surveyed by Captain Bethune. Lord Amherst 

 in returning from Peking in 1815, as Sir J. Davis has just acquainted us, 

 came upon the river at Chenkeangfoo, and proceeded up it to the Poyang lake 

 in Chinese boats. The fleet, under the command of Sir W. Parker, consisting 

 of 75 sail, some of which drew more than 22 feet water, ascended the river 

 to Nankin. The present expedition has proved that it is navigable for seaborne 

 vessels beyond that city to Han Kow, and the portion between the Poyang lake 

 and the latter city must be considered as entirely new, not having been 

 explored before by Europeans. This opening of 600 miles of river navigation 

 reflects the highest credit upon all who have been engaged in it, and it is a 

 great pleasure to many of us here to reflect that there are several officers with 

 whom we have been associated in other enterprises who have taken so pro- 

 minent a part in this great expedition of Lord Elgin's into the interior of 

 China. 



With respect to the geographical point of the paper which relates to the 

 change in the channel of the river between Nankin and the sea, I would 

 observe, that it is a very difficult thing to fix the exact position of a ship 

 where there are few or no landmarks, which is the case in the lower part of 

 this river. It was, however, triangulated down by Captain Kellett and myself, 

 and we are responsible for the soundings laid down on the chart of '42, all 

 of which are correctly fixed. That changes will continually take place in the 

 channels between Kushan and the sea must be expected, as up to this point 

 the tide is felt; but I think above the Kushan crossing the navigation of 

 the river will be more simple, though still liable to changes during the period 

 of inundation. 



The uncertainty of the navigation of the lower part of the river cannot 

 be better proved than by the fact that we took the fleet up by one channel 

 and were obliged to bring them down by another. 



The chart of '42 will, however, be useful, to show the changes that have 

 taken place, and afford a good foundation for reasoning upon the system of 



VOL. III. P 



